


There for You (ON HIATUS)

by IceLite1011



Category: Free!, Haikyuu!!, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Akashi Seijuurou and Kuroko Tetsuya are Related, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angel Kuroko Tetsuya, Angel Tachibana Makoto, Angelic Kagami Taiga, Aomine Daiki & Kagami Taiga Friendship, Art Student Furihata Kouki, Art Student Nanase Haruka, Art Student Yamaguchi Tadashi, Chef Nanase Haruka, Daichi is Aomine's superior what, Developing Relationship, Dorms, Established Relationship, Established Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Everyone Is Gay, Firefighter Kagami Taiga, Firefighter Tachibana Makoto, Fluff, Furihata Haru and Yamaguchi are art friends, Kagami and Makoto are coworkers, Kindergarten Teacher Kuroko Tetsuya, Kise Ryouta Being an Idiot, Kuroko Haru and Hinata are coworkers, M/M, Makoto Midorima and Rei are all premed students, Married Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Med Student Midorima Shintarou, Minor Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi, Model Kise Ryouta, Nagisa is a Little Shit, Nerd Ryuugazaki Rei, Police Officer Aomine Daiki, Protective Akashi Seijuurou, Scientist Ryuugazaki Rei, Slice of Life, Takao Nagisa and Kise are besties, did I say that everyone's an angel, everyone's an angel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-14 17:59:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7184312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceLite1011/pseuds/IceLite1011
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>KnB x Fr! x HQ!! CROSSOVER</p><p>They go to different universities, and live in different places, but in the end, they all have each other's backs.</p><p> </p><p>(Will focus on multiple pairings in future chapters)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1.1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is a HUGE work for me (I mean, a triple sports anime crossover?!), but I'm excited to write it and develop a (hopefully) strong plot. I'm writing as I go along, so updates will probably be slow, but if you like the first chapter, then I hope you'll stick around for the ride :)
> 
> P.S. This will focus on multiple couples/pairings, which means a lot of POV changes and such.
> 
> **Ratings may change in later chapters**

The tension on the court was practically tangible as the two boys stared each other down, navy blue meeting maroon red. Suddenly, they both sprang into action, Kagami ripping down the court as he zeroed in on the goal just above him. He launched himself into the air, ready to slam the ball into the hoop with an impressive _bang_ , only to be completely cut off by Aomine as his tanned arm thwacked the ball out of his hand. They both went sprawling to the ground, landing on the hot tar with simultaneous  _oof_ s. They were both sweaty, exhausted, and the game was tied - _again_. They grinned and high-fived each other.

"Not bad," Aomine smirked as unfolded himself from the ground and tugged Kagami up as well. "You managed not to embarrass yourself _too_ much."

"Same goes for you," Kagami shot back, but his tone was light and he was just content to have been able to play yet another satisfying one-on-one for the week.

"Same time, same place next week?"

"Yup."

They cleared out of the street court so the waiting group of boys - probably in middle school - could use it instead. The younger boys stared at the prodigy duo in awe, having watched the two play for a good half hour and being amazed by both of their skills. They scampered onto the court, immediately starting up their own game. Kagami and Aomine started the walk back in comfortable silence, stopping by the convenience store for ice-cold sports drinks. 

"Are you going to the fire station today?" Aomine asked, taking a swig of his Aquarius and sighing at the feeling of the cold liquid flowing down his parched throat.

"Yeah," Kagami replied, downing his own Gatorade. "You going to the police station?"

Aomine groaned and nodded. "Sawamura's gonna kill me with all those drills."

Kagami laughed. "You love what you do; what's there to complain about? Plus Sawamura-san seems like a good guy."

"He's the devil himself when he's in his uniform. But otherwise, yeah."

"How much longer are you gonna be training for?" Kagami inquired.

Aomine shrugged. "Couple more years? I don't know. I'll go to police academy after college."

"You should know stuff like that if you wanna be a police officer,  _Ahomine_." Kagami teased.

Aomine shoved his arm. "Shut up, _Bakagami_. I'm getting there."

Their conversation continued for the rest of the walk, until they had to part ways to go to their respective universities. Just as Aomine was about to wave goodbye and cross the street, he felt a hand on his arm.

"Kagami?"

His friend, rival, and practical brother was staring at him worriedly. "Are you...are you really okay now?"

He felt a stab of irritation. "Kagami..."

"I know I'm being annoying. But I'm genuinely worried about you. You dropped off the face of the earth for a good month, you had me and Tetsuya worried sick, and for a while we had to look after you 24/7 to make sure you would keep living. For a long while I was scared you would be gone forever, and I can't have my best friend disappearing on me." He smiled wryly. "Plus who would be my rival in basketball without you?  _Someone_ has to keep me entertained during one-on-ones."

Aomine felt his heart warm at the straightforward honesty that was Kagami, and his initial exasperation melted away. "I'm really, truly okay, Kagami. In fact, last night I was okay enough to order Mai-chan's new photo album, which - lemme tell you - has some grade A  _tits_. Like, _cantaloupes_. And I've taken the liberty of shipping them to  _your_ dorm, 'kay? It's expected in 3 to 5 business days."

He ignored Kagami's sputtering and protests of "Stop sending your porn to  _my_ dorm!!! Why can't  _you_ pick them up?"

"Our dorm's mailboxes don't have locks," he said simply. "Can't risk someone seeing them, now can I?  _Your_ uni, on the other hand, is a blessing from above and every mailbox has a lock."

"That doesn't mean you can just keep sending weird shit to my dorm," Kagami grumbled. "It'll make Tetsuya uncomfortable!"

Aomine snorted. "Trust me, Tetsu doesn't mind. And he has  _you_ to keep him busy with... _other things_." And with that he laughed his way down the street, leaving a furiously blushing, indignantly shouting Kagami behind.

 

* * *

 

Twenty minutes later, Kagami arrived at the fire station, his cheeks still faintly heated from Aomine's lewd remarks. He greeted the other firemen as he headed towards the locker room to change. Once there, he ran into Makoto, who had just finished changing into his gear. "Hey, Makoto."

The sandy-haired boy turned, his emerald eyes lighting up when he noticed Kagami standing behind him. "Taiga!"

The two had met last year, when Kagami just started volunteering at the station. Makoto had been here for a few months longer than he had, so he showed Kagami the ropes and introduced him to all the firemen. They had actually been going to the same university, which Kagami had never been aware of before due to their academic courses being completely different. Makoto was studying medicine in order to become a pediatrician, while Kagami had gotten a full basketball scholarship and was training to become a professional. In between their insanely busy schedules, they both miraculously found time to volunteer at the local fire station, and although at first Makoto seemed  _too_ friendly and  _too_ sweet for Kagami's taste, they became close friends. He didn't even mind being called by his first name; with Makoto it just felt natural and pretty soon Kagami was calling Makoto by his given name, too. Said Makoto was finally getting used to Kagami's short temper and deafening shouts as well, instead of jumping out of his skin every time Kagami had one of his tantrums.

"What's our job for today?" Kagami asked, stripping off his sweaty t-shirt in exchange for a clean, black one labelled "VOLUNTEER" in white letters. 

"Mostly cleaning the trucks, tidying up the equipment, the usual stuff." Makoto replied, swinging his locker shut.

"Let's do it."

They spent the next two hours hosing down dirty firetrucks, making sure every piece of equipment was where it should be, and admiring the other firemen while they were at it. Kagami wasn't aiming to be a firefighter for life, but the sight of the men in their full gear, huge firehose and all, still filled Kagami with little-boy glee. The same went for Makoto; his green eyes practically shining as they watched the firefighters slide expertly down the pole. They spent the last couple of minutes of their shift like that, plopped down in mismatched stools as they watched the men go about their duties in the spacious garage.  

"Hey, Taiga?"

"Yeah?" 

"I just got a text from Haru; he says he made too much mackerel again and that you and Kuroko-kun are welcome to have dinner with us."

"Mackerel again?" Kagami fake-groaned, smiling at Makoto's sheepish grin. "Sure. I'll tell Tetsuya."

"Great!" Makoto beamed, quickly typing a reply on his phone. Kagami pulled out his own phone to text his boyfriend.

 

**New Message to: Tetsuya**

_Nanase apparently made too much mackerel, wanna go help em finish it off?_

**Tetsuya**

_Of course. Should I bring the chocolate soufflé in the fridge as a dessert?_

_Good idea! See ya soon._

**Tetsuya**

_See you :)_

 

After recovering from a short flurry of butterflies (Tetsuya sent a smiley face; how angelic could he be?!), Kagami and Makoto headed back to the locker room after bidding everyone goodbye. They changed into their street clothes and caught the local bus, heading back to the university.

 

* * *

 

The smell of grilled mackerel greeted them as Kagami and Makoto entered the dorm, the delicious wafts of soy sauce and fish making Kagami's mouth water. He found Kuroko on the sofa, snuggled up on a cushion as he devoured his newest mystery novel. Smiling, Kagami made his way over, wrapping his arms around Kuroko's slim shoulders from behind. "Hey," he said softly, nuzzling his nose into feathery, baby-blue hair. 

Kuroko tilted his head back, a tiny smile playing on his lips. "Welcome back," he said, closing his book with a thud as he accepted a quick kiss on the cheek. 

"Save it for after dinner," a cool voice interrupted them.

Kagami glanced in the general direction of Haru, who was standing in front of them in a dolphin-printed apron and a steaming plate of mackerel in his hands. "Like you and Makoto ever hold back on PDA," he spat back, smirking. 

Haru's eye twitched, a sign that he was getting pissed (which happened quite often). Sensing danger, Makoto hurried over to soothe his boyfriend. "Haru, be nice." He laughed softly, wrapping his arms around Haru's slender waist and tucking his chin on Haru's shoulder. "Yeah, Nanase,  _be nice_ ," Kagami sneered, only to be cut off by a painful jab to his stomach. "T-Testuya!"

He was met with unapologetic blue eyes. "Please stop being so childish, Taiga-kun."

There was a beat of silence, but Makoto let out a giggle, and pretty soon all four boys were laughing as they pulled up chairs around the small dining table and settling down to eat.

"How was the station today?" Kuroko asked as he helped himself to a serving of mackerel. 

"Pretty uneventful," Kagami replied, his mouth already stuffed. "Yeah," Makoto agreed. "How was the kindergarten today, Kuroko-kun?"

"It was a busy day," Kuroko sighed. "One of the children got sick, and Hinata-kun panicked. I was taking care of the sick child while the nurse handled two other children who were injured on the playground, and Nanase-kun had to calm down Hinata-kun."

"Hinata's loud," Haru added, closing his eyes as he savored a bite of mackerel.

Makoto laughed, having no trouble imagining the scene - Kuroko gently looking after an ill kindergartener, while Haru stood beside them indifferently, probably telling Hinata something along the lines of "Be quiet". Another thought popped into his head. "Hey, Taiga, how was basketball with Aomine-kun? You were all sweaty when you came to the station."

"It was pretty intense, but in the end we tied again!" Kagami groaned. "One day I'm definitely gonna beat him."

"How was...Aomine-kun?" Kuroko asked quietly, and the mood quickly became somber.

"He said he was okay," Kagami said slowly, trying to remember whether it looked as if the power forward were lying. He had _seemed_ okay when he brought up his porn order.

"How long has it been since...you know," Haru inquired, worried about Aomine. He and Makoto weren't as close to Aomine as Kagami and Kuroko were, but they were still good friends nonetheless.

"Six months," Kagami replied, putting down his fork. "He's doing a lot better, but he's definitely not all there yet. I think. He's fine when he plays basketball."

"Playing basketball with you is probably his refuge, the one thing that hasn't changed." Kuroko said, smiling warmly at his boyfriend. Aomine was lucky to have a best friend like Kagami, and Kuroko was thankful.

"I hope he finds someone..." Makoto trailed off. "But not right away, like a rebound. He needs time to heal, and someone who'll take care of him."

The group agreed, and the conversation about Aomine ended. They didn't want to dredge up too many memories of that fateful day. 

 


	2. Part 1.2

The next morning, Makoto awoke quietly, trying not to make the mattress creak as he stepped out of bed. Haru still slept serenely, looking adorable and much younger with his raven hair tousled and his mouth slightly open. Makoto leaned down, kissing Haru's cheek goodbye before slipping into his clothes for the day and brushing his teeth. After gathering a few stray papers and storing them in his backpack, Makoto gave Haru's sleeping form one final look before quietly slipping out of the dorm and heading to his first class.

Makoto exited the building, the early morning sun hitting his eyes and the misty air cool on his face. He enjoyed being outside early; the campus was most tranquil at this time of day. He squinted, spotting another figure hurrying down the courtyard.

"Yamaguchi-kun!" He called, running after the gray hoodie. The boy turned, smiling when he spotted Makoto. "Tachibana!"

"Good morning," Makoto greeted, falling in step with Yamaguchi as they began to cross the courtyard together. "Hey," Yamaguchi grinned. There were little specks of what looked like paint on his cheeks, mixed in with his freckles. "You, uh..." Makoto motioned towards his face. 

"Oh," Yamaguchi blushed, rubbing at his face. "I was up late finishing a project, and I fell asleep before showering. I'll wash it off later."

"That sounds tough," Makoto commented, raising his eyebrows. 

"It's the life of an art major." Yamaguchi laughed, although at the same time he yawned, making a funny noise in between. "But you're a premed student, that must be worse."

"It's pretty harsh," Makoto admitted, stifling a yawn of his own. "But it's worth it."

"Talk about dedication," Yamaguchi joked, offering a good-natured grin. "I'm going this way. See you!" 

"Bye!" Makoto waved as Yamaguchi headed off towards the School of Arts. Makoto glanced at his watch, realizing he would have to hurry if he wanted to make it to Organic Chemistry in time. He broke out into a light jog.

 

* * *

 

 "Makoto-senpai!" 

He looked up to find Rei, sitting near the front of the lecture hall with his laptop already booted up and prepared to take notes. "Hey, Rei," he said, plopping down in the seat next to his junior with another yawn. "Have you been getting enough sleep lately?" Rei asked, immediately catching the yawn. "Sleep deprivation leads to a higher risk of chronic health problems, such as high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease, and-" 

"Rei," Makoto cut him off gently, "Don't worry about me, I'm fine!" He smiled to show he was telling the truth. Rei seemed to perk up at the reassurance, and continued on to rattle off a string of new knowledge regarding quinoa and its health benefits. 

"Did you know," he started, his violet eyes shining, "that quinoa contains twice as much fiber as most other-"

"Ryuugazaki," a deeper voice interrupted. "It's too early to be discussing this."

"Midorima-kun!" Makoto laughed, making room for the green-haired student. He sat down with a huff, gruffly accepting Rei's apologies of being too loud. Clearly, Midorima was not a morning person, judging from how he seemed to be ten times crankier than usual prior to at least eleven in the morning. Nevertheless, he never showed up late to class, and he was a stellar student otherwise. "Good morning, Tachibana, Ryuugazaki." He greeted both of them, opening up his own laptop and turning it on. Instantly, a flow of text bubbles popped up on the screen.

 

**From: Takao**

_Shin-chan!_

_Shin-chaaaaaaan!_

_Shin-chan?_

_U didn't wake me up again!!!_

_U pushed me off the bed didn't u? I woke up ON THE FLOOR_

_And now my back hurts :(_

_Well, for OTHER reasons too I guess ;) ;)_

_Btw u forgot to put away your clean undies so I'm folding them for u rn ;)_

_Love ya! <3_

 

Makoto his tried his hardest to stifle a laugh as Midorima slowly turned beet red next to him. Rei looked over, confused. "Is something the mat-" Midorima quickly shut the laptop, blurting out a quick "It's nothing" before quickly excusing himself to make a phone call. Makoto smiled, shaking his head at Rei. "Is it about Takao-san?" Rei asked, his eyes glinting mischievously behind his new glasses.

"Yup," Makoto confirmed, imagining a cheery Takao folding Midorima's underwear. 

"Isn't it strange those two are dating? Midorima-senpai is studious and never goes to parties, while Takao-san is the exact opposite."

"That's true," Makoto agreed. "But they're perfect for each other...Speaking of dating, how're things with Nagisa going?"

Immediately a blush exploded on Rei's fair cheeks. "W-we're not-!!"

"But he got you those new glasses, didn't he?" Makoto smirked. He usually tried not to poke his nose in Rei's love life, but teasing him about Nagisa was extremely satisfying.

"How did you know?!" Rei exclaimed, his hand flying to his glasses. Makoto laughed. 

"The insides of the temples are pink with purple butterflies." He stated simply. "It's a dead giveaway!"

Rei blushed again, pushing his glasses further up his nose in an attempt to hide his flaming cheeks. "W-well, he  _did_ , but it was simply as friends!"

"Oh, I see..." Makoto trailed off, smirking again. "Makoto-senpai!" Rei whined, only to be interrupted by Midorima returning from his phone call. There was a telltale blush on his cheeks as well, which Makoto and Rei were kind enough to ignore.

 

* * *

 

  _Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt._

"Tch...Takao again," Midorima mumbled just as his chopsticks were halfway to his mouth. "Excuse me." He said to Makoto and Rei, who were in the middle of discussing Rei's calorie intake for today. Midorima moved to a more quiet corner of the courtyard, tapping the phone screen to answer the call. "What now, Takao?"

"Aw, don't be so pissy, Shin-chan!" Came Takao's overly loud, overly chipper voice. "I just called to let you know I'll be late getting home tonight."

"What is it this time?" Midorima sighed, not surprised. "I'm gonna hang out with Nagi-chan and Ryo-chan!"

Midorima paused. "...Hazuki and Kise? Stop using those childish nicknames; I don't know who you're talking about."

"You bothered to remember them, though," Takao teased, the smirk practically tangible. "Anyways, I  _graciously_ left dinner on the counter, so eat up, kay? Don't skip meals just 'cause you're a med student!"

Midorima sighed, smiling softly to himself. Takao was usually too bright and too peppy for him, but he made sure Midorima ate properly (and he wasn't an incompetent cook by any means). He was thankful for that. "All right," Midorima said. "Be safe."

"I love you!" Takao chirped, and cut the call. Midorima lowered the phone, feeling the usual blush creep up his cheeks. He would never get used to hearing those words come from Takao's mouth, even though Takao announced it at least 3 times a day. He had yet to return the phrase. 

Shaking off his thoughts, he made his way back to the table, where Makoto and Rei had moved on to discussing dinner. "Midorima-kun!" Makoto said cheerily upon spotting the tall man. "Do you want to grab dinner with Rei and me tonight? There's a quinoa special at the salad bar," he laughed.

Midorima perked up at the idea of quinoa, one of his favorite healthy foods, but he remembered that Takao was making him dinner. "Thank you, but I'll have to decline," he said, sitting back down and picking up his chopsticks. "Takao is preparing my dinner." 

Rei grinned in awe. "Midorima-senpai, you really are loved, right?" 

He felt a furious blush explode on his face, but he tried to ignore it. "B-be quiet!"

 

* * *

 

 Takao flitted around the dorm, making sure everything was tidy for Midorima (or, well, as tidy as he could make it). Dinner was on the table, his stray laundry was stored in his dresser, and the floors had been vacuumed (Midorima was insanely allergic to house dust, but Takao secretly enjoyed watching his adorable boyfriend sneeze and tear up). He thanked the scheduling gods that he had almost no classes on Fridays, which left him plenty of time to primp and party. And clean up their dorm, of course.

He settled down in front of the mirror he had propped up against his desk, turning his head this way and that as he looked at his reflection. His skin was flawless, his eyes looked sharp and cunning, and his hair was smooth. He looked pretty good (if he said so himself), and girls and guys alike threw themselves at him at the many clubs he attended. But, of course, he had his precious Midorima, and so he strictly stuck to drinking and dancing only (well, sometimes a  _teeny_ , _minuscule_ bit of flirting). His two besties, in contrast, were single. Kise, with his (literal) golden-boy looks and busy modeling job had him being chased around by squealing fans daily, while Nagisa, with his cutesy, innocent manner and puppy-dog eyes made him a charming favorite at clubs. Takao had grown close to the two after coincidentally ending up at the same local bar counter, and they had been clubbing buddies ever since.

Just as Takao had finished selecting his outfit for the night, his cell buzzed, indicating a call. He put in on speaker and placed it on the nightstand as he got dressed. "Yeees?" he singsonged.

"Kazu-chan!" Came the joyous trill of Nagisa's voice. "You almost ready?"

"Just about!" Takao answered, pulling on a casual white button-down. "You're coming over here first, right?"

"Yup! I'm about to leave the apartment. Hold on!" There was a muffled _Rei-chan, I'm leaving!_ before he spoke again. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Do you know when Ryo-chan finishes work?"

"Should be done soon," Takao answered, throwing on a leather jacket. "He said his photo shoot was near his uni today, so he shouldn't take too long!"

"Gotcha!" Nagisa said happily. "See you in a few!" 

 

* * *

 

 

"Takaocchi, Hazukicchi! It's been too long!"

The two turned to find Kise, practically bouncing towards them as a mob of schoolgirls behind him whispered and squealed. "Ryo-chan!!" They both yelled, and the three embraced as if they hadn't seen each other in years, rather than two weeks. Takao pulled back first to drink in his friends' appearances. Kise was sporting a creamy cashmere v-neck under a classy navy blazer with silver accents, paired with lightly destroyed skinny jeans. The dark color of his jacket brought out his sunny golden eyes and fair hair, and he looked fantastic. Nagisa looked fresh and pure in a baggy pink jacket matched with shorts, colorful leggings, and high-tops, a look that Takao would normally frown at but looked perfect on the petite blonde boy. "Let's get going!" Takao whooped, slinging his arms around his friends, and they cheered as they headed for the nearest train station.

"Where're we off to tonight?" Nagisa asked, his magenta eyes bright with excitement.

"The new club a few stations away," Takao replied with a mischievous smile. "It's called Miracles."

"All guys, hm?" Kise's eyes sparkled. "Midorimacchi should be keeping you on a shorter leash!"

Takao whacked his friend playfully, careful to avoid the expertly styled golden hair. "We trust each other  _wholeheartedly_ ," he announced, earning a few curious glances from strangers. "Tonight's more about you two! Anything new going on?" He pressed.

Kise shook his head honestly. "Haven't found _the one_ yet."

Takao turned to Nagisa. "What's up with you and your delicious science boy?"

Nagisa blushed. "Rei-chan? He's so busy with his classes; I don't want to burden him."

Kise and Takao stared at their companion in disbelief. "Hazukicchi, you're usually so forward! What's wrong?"

"Nothing! We're great, everything's great...I'm just scared that Rei-chan will be grossed out if I tell him I like him."

Takao patted the beanie covering Nagisa's hair. " _Trust_ me, Nagi-chan, the way he looks at you clearly says he's obsessed with you. Remember that one time we had lunch with your bae and Shin-chan and everyone else? _Mm-hmm_."

"No fair, no fair!" Kise wailed. "I didn't get to see Hazukicchi's bae! What's he like?"

"He has this dark, indigo kinda hair, and purple eyes, and he's tall. With glasses." Takao clarified. "And he was like a little girl with her first crush. And it's your fault you go to a different uni!" He added on.

"It's not  _my_ fault!" Kise whined. "But aw, that's sweet. He sounds yummy." He said with a smile. Nagisa blushed again and nodded. "Thanks, guys! I think I'll take it slow, and give him some space. But for now, time to par- _tay_!" he laughed, and with a whoop the trio reached the station and piled onto the next subway.

 

 


	3. Part 1.3

On that same Friday, Aomine slumped into the loudest, most crowded establishment he had ever seen. The single room was huge, with white crystal lights hanging from the high ceiling coupled with a disco ball in the center. The ball sent rainbow shards of light all over the room, contrasting with the general darkness of the club. There were plushy love seats and low tables dotted about, seating couples as they sipped cocktails or cuddled. The spacious, tiled dance floor was surrounded by a bar and the DJ stand. And it was filled entirely with men.

"What the hell am I doing here..." he grumbled to himself, turning back to glare at his superior. Daichi winked, waving him off as he slinked an arm around his own husband and led him away, leaving Aomine alone.

 

* * *

 

It was supposed to be a normal Friday night - do his weekly drills at the local police station, maybe catch some dinner and play a one-on-one game with Kagami, and crash in his apartment 'til noon. But just as Aomine had finished his 100 sets of shuttle runs, panting and sweating like crazy, Daichi had clapped him on the shoulder. 

"Suga's coming over right now, and he told me he won exclusive tickets to a new nightclub." The man grinned. "You're coming with us."

"Hah?!" Aomine spat. "Why should I?"

"Because we have threee tickets, and we don't want one of them to go to waste. Plus it would be great to see you dance." Daichi chuckled.

"Bullshit," Aomine retorted. "Are you even  _allowed_ to take me to a club? You're my _teacher_."

Daichi raised an eyebrow. "You're in your third year of college and you're 21 years old. And I'm not your official teacher, I'm an off-duty policeman making a guy he's known for twelve years do some basic drills in an abandoned field. Nothing against the law going on here."

Aomine sighed, giving in. "Fine. But wait til I get into police academy; I'm gonna kick your smart ass!"

A booming laugh followed. "Aomine, I went to police academy  _years_ ago. My smart ass won't even be there." Aomine grumbled in frustration. Ever since he was nine, and was saved from almost being run over by a speeding car by none other than Daichi, he had always respected the man - to an extent. Even just watching the man patrol the streets in his navy-blue uniform and shiny badge had him in awe. And when he was ten, he told Daichi that he wanted to be a policeman. He had been training with the officer since.

"Da-i-chi-!" A soft, airy voice called from inside the police station. "Out here!" Daichi answered, his deep voice carrying across the field.

Aomine watched as his superior's husband emerged from the back door, his sunny smile seeming to light up the whole neighborhood. "Found you guys! Hi, Aomine!" 

"Yo," Aomine greeted, still feeling a little uncomfortable around the smaller male. He was so _smiley_ , for one, and extremely friendly with him, which to Aomine was unusual. A lot of people were usually frightened of him. And he still found it weird when Daichi - who was downright scary as a coach - turned into such a softie around Sugawara. And the fact that Daichi called his husband "Suga", like in their high school years, was just strange. Aomine concluded that inside, they were still the clueless young teenage boys in love from years ago.

"You ready?" Daichi asked Suga, nuzzling his nose into the crook of his husband's neck. Suga giggled in return, nodding and giving Daichi a quick kiss. "Sorry for dragging you out too, Aomine."

"S'fine," Aomine brushed it off, wiping the sweat off his brow. "Just let me get changed."

 

* * *

 

 

And so here he was, standing dumbly in the middle of a nightclub, alone. He spotted Daichi and Suga, snuggled up on one of the love seats with drinks in their hands. He really wasn't in the mood for third-wheeling, so he made his way to the bar. The stand itself looked pretty cool - the counters were slabs of glass atop black marble, lit up from below with neon-blue lights. The various array of bottles was lined up on rainbow shelves behind the counter, the bartenders expertly mixing drinks and sliding the finished glasses to awaiting customers. Aomine flopped down onto a silver stool, casting a glance at the cocktail menu propped up on the countertop. "Gimme a Black Panther," he said, flagging down the nearest bartender. "R-right!" the man stuttered, immediately turning around to grab the necessary bottles. He looked nervous, almost dropping the glass in his hand as he mixed the drinks.  _He must be a newbie_ , Aomine thought, studying the mousy boy's messy brown hair and widened eyes. 

Suddenly, there was a commotion on the other side of the bar. Since the countertop was curved into a half-circle, Aomine couldn't get a clear view because of the bartenders. He craned his neck. 

"Hey, hey, what's the matter, _Ryota_? I just wanted to _play_ with you again."

"Get your hands off him!"

"Shut your trap, shrimp. Go back home to mommy."

"Nagi-chan, let go! He'll hurt you!"

"I don't care!"

Unable to ignore the shouts anymore, Aomine bolted out of his seat and pushed past the mob of onlookers that had suddenly formed. "Out of the way," he snapped, finally arriving at his destination. Three men were gathered around a stool, with a tall blonde seated in it. A bigger guy with black cornrows had grabbed the blonde's collar, their faces only inches apart. Beside them, another smaller blonde was being held back by a raven-haired man, fury etched onto both of their faces.

"Haizaki, you bastard!" The raven-haired man snarled. "I'm calling the police!"

Alarmed at the intensity of the situation, Aomine glanced at the man whose collar was being grabbed. His flaxen hair fell over most of his face, and it looked like he was trembling. Then he looked up, directly at Aomine.

 _Gorgeous_. That was his first thought. Even with his hair mussed and his clothing slightly askew, Aomine was instantly drawn into the perfect golden eyes. Then reality kicked in, and he saw the terror etched into the handsome features. His body moved on its own accord, stalking forward and grabbing the muscular guy's shoulder as he tugged the man back harshly.

The onlookers stared at him with wide eyes as the burly guy slowly turned to face him. Immediately, Aomine felt his pulse spike. The man's eyes were bloodshot, clouded with alcohol and fury, the enraged pupils like two black holes. His lips were pulled back in a cross between a snarl and a sneer, creating an ugly expression on his face. He felt fear shoot through him.

"Get your _fucking hand off me_ ," the man said, his slurred voice dripping with venom. 

"Leave," Aomine commanded, feeling his voice drop an octave lower than usual with fury. 

 " _You're_ telling me to leave?" The man named Haizaki jeered. "What, are you Ryota's new fuck boy?"

Aomine felt a flush go through his cheeks at the words "fuck boy". He shot a glance at the alluring face, which was looking between him and Haizaki with tears in his eyes. 

"Ryota's  _mine_ ," Haizaki sneered, his face dangerously close to Aomine's. His breath reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. " _I get to fuck him_."

His vision went red. Without thinking, Aomine punched Haizaki square in the jaw. 

There was a collective gasp from the crowd, and Aomine faintly registered the dull pain in his knuckles, but all he could focus on were Haizaki's words, already repeating themselves in his head like a mantra. _Ryota's mine._ _I get to fuck him._ For some reason, it made his blood boil. It was disgusting. Revolting.

"You..." his attention snapped back to Haizaki, who was cradling his bruised jaw, blood dribbling down his chin. "I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!!!" Aomine's eyes zeroed in on the raised fist, his body tense and ready to fight back, but a large hand grabbed Haizaki's arm before he could make a move.

"That's enough," a booming voice said, and internally Aomine flinched. He immediately recognized that tone.

Sure enough, Daichi stepped out from the shadows, his face calm and empty on the outside, but his dark eyes were smoldering. "You're coming with me," he said in a scarily even tone, his knuckles white from the tight grip on Haizaki's sleeve.

"What, the fuck boy has backup?" Haizaki let out a hollow laugh before harshly twisting in Daichi's grip and whipping out a pocket knife. "You're dead," he whispered, before lunging in.

Aomine knew that the attempt was useless. In an instant, Daichi had the man in a tight headlock, kicking the knife across the floor to Aomine, who swiftly scooped it up. Daichi handcuffed Haizaki with lightning speed, leaning in close and bringing the man face to face with his police badge. "Careful where you point that," he said, his icy voice as smooth as silk, and that seemed to subdue the drunken man. Daichi promptly began to drag Haizaki off, signaling to the security guards who had finally been alerted about the commotion. The officer turned back to Aomine, his face serious. 

"Take care of these fellows and Suga. We'll talk later." And with that, his broad back disappeared into the crowd.

Aomine nodded, feeling a shiver go down his spine. He turned back to the blonde - Ryota, was it? - who was now surrounded by his two friends. "Hey," he said, slowly approaching the trio. "You okay?"

The two friends looked up, relief apparent on their faces. "No one was physically hurt," the one with black hair said. "Thank you so much," the smaller blonde piped up, seeming so harmless compared to his furious self only a few moments prior. Finally, the taller blonde on the stool looked up, meeting Aomine's eyes. "Thank you," he rasped, his voice shaking. Aomine felt his gut wrench at the broken tone, the tears glistening in his golden eyes, the inward slump of his trembling shoulders. What had Haizaki done to him? What had this man gone through?

"No prob," Aomine muttered, unable to tear his eyes away. He stood there awkwardly for a moment. "Well, I guess I'll-"

"Wait!" The small blonde called. "At least let us thank you properly. Dinner?" The raven-haired man nodded in agreement as he rubbed the other man's shoulder comfortingly. "I'm Takao Kazunari, by the way." 

"My name's Hazuki Nagisa!" The petite man smiled, offering a hand. Aomine shook it, afraid that if he squeezed too hard the tiny hand would break. He couldn't help but look over to the taller blonde, dying to know his name. The man looked up again, still seeming shaken up, but thankfully he spoke.

"Kise Ryota," he said softly, as if he were afraid to utter it out loud. 

"Aomine Daiki," he introduced himself, nodding to all three of them but mostly looking at Kise. "So, uh, dinner. Can we do next next week? Monday?"

"Of course!" Nagisa chirped, earning affirmative nods from Takao and Kise. "We'll see you...hm, where do you live? Are you in college?"

"Yeah. Third-year at Sanada. I live there."

Abruptly he felt Kise's eyes on him. "Th-that's where I go."

For a moment the words didn't sink in. "Wait, what? Seriously?"

The blonde nodded slowly. "I live in First Hall."

Aomine blinked. He lived in Second. How could he not have known that Kise was in his university?

"Whoa, what a coincidence!" Nagisa burst out, clapping his hands. "Okay, so we'll meet at Sanada at 7, how does that sound?" Everyone agreed. "Oh, by the way, Kazu-chan and I are nearby too. We go to Yukimori!" 

"Yukimori...?" Then it registered. That was where Kagami and Kuroko were! His mind whirled, marveling at how everything connected.

"We should go," Takao said after a beat of silence. His sharp, hawk-like eyes glanced over to Kise. "Thanks again, Aomine."

"Bye-bye!" Nagisa waved, and Aomine nodded, slinking off to find Suga. He looked back once, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Takao and Nagisa were huddled around Kise, their eyes full of worry. The blonde was still visibly shaking and slumped against his friends, his head bowed down. He looked so small, and frail. Something stirred in Aomine's memory, and his stomach churned. He turned away, pushing down the pain that was threatening to eat him alive. Suddenly, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

He turned to find kind hazel eyes staring up at him in worry. "Come on," Suga said gently. "Let's go home."


End file.
